Just myself

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2012-01-19T16:01:00.001-08:00

Wishing all my Chinese friends and readers a prosperous new year. May this year of the dragon be filled with joy and happiness to you and the who family.

As always, drive safe, don't drink if you want to drive. Take a cab instead.

CGPA grades or the grade of life??

2012-01-11T05:08:00.001-08:00

A question I pose to those academician and hiring managers alike of whether the academic grade of a 4.0 is worth more than of a graduate who thinks out of the box and work smart which can work to the expectations and independently?
I have always a believer of street smart people who can achieve many things rather than of those who think they know they can of it , only just on paper rather than no real physical skill themselves.

For the past many years,Singapore have been emphasizing on the academics but lacking on the development of the thinking mind and took the short cut of just importing cheap foreign talents from India , Philippines and the sort and not heavily investing on the locals itself. Locals like the dominant sound blaster Creative Technologies will not be so of the standard unless he is without a thinking mind, not even a scholar. Why am I raising this matter up is that our GLC companies are wasting tax payers money on useless and outdated technology that even back dated England had used 5 years back. Technologies within the home team are so critical of the 3G technology that if an act of sabotage, they will be out of communications just as SingTel always screw up the 3G services. So what if there is a power outage or some china man used a cellular disrupter which you can buy off eBay for $29.95?? Where is the secondary system?? Lives would have been lost.

I just ask to take a few steps back and think out loud. Are we going back to the stone age and rely on foreign thwarts for everything and blame them for all the fuckups?? Or are we allowing Singaporeans fly out and never come back and be drained of the brain cells???

Another Singapore financial scam

2012-01-06T08:20:00.001-08:00

The recent highlight of over 200 victims who had their debit visa and MasterCard ATM combo cards cloned and misused in Malaysia is just to show that cheap skate Singapore banks just don't listen to the reality of new age fraud and still using backdated technology in the name of saving money.

They just don't get the fact that magnetic technology which is super cheap don't work anymore. Everyone else is using EMV compliant technology, reading cards just off their data stored on the smart chip. I used it more than 10 years back in uk where we found the security loophole and here we are, Singapore stuck with the same old problem. Why?? Because they wanted to save money and still be able to charge you $2 a month for service fees. So what is the ultimate resolution for these faults??

Firstly, scrap all the existing cards. Replace all of them with NETS visa wave and embossed cards. This will deter clones and faults.

Replace all ATM machines with smart technology such as a combo cash recycler and cheque image deposit. Touch screen is pretty useless actually.

Update all the crypto keys with 4096 SHA2 SSL3 technology on all machines. All nets terminal to use wireless payment as mandate. The machines must accept all other card services such as diners club,Amex and Malaysian MEPS bank card as ocbc and uob are member banks there.

Automatic call notification of foreign transactions and especially ATM withdrawals. Locator services can see if customer is outside the country and manual checks done.

Now the customers suffer. Time for you to think if our Singapore banks are up to scratch.

Happy new year!!!

2012-01-01T07:20:00.001-08:00

Happy new year to all my friends on this first day of 2012.many are still hung over from yesterday's party and to those who were at the Marina Bay Float to usher in the New year, I just hope it was well worth it.

Well from what I know Siti Nurhaliza was there performing live till 3am in the morning. But I just stop to ponder as to why Siti,a multi millionaire and married to a super rich DATOK K had to stoop so low to a concert which she labeled 'with improper moral values' and with tickets at $25 a pop which she usually performs for nothing less than $100 and costing organisers at least $4million in performance fees alone. And why as a married woman stay out so late than rather spend time with her husband?? Are these signs of financial constraints or marital issues or are the rumors of her husband took on another wife which was said to be a Singaporean stewardess?? These are here say but her actions are portraying such.

As for the Samoans, they are enjoying the benefits of having to celebrate the new year twice since they swapped time zones last night, loosing the eve and head out to the eastern time zone instead.

Just that is my ramblings and wish u good health and great fortunes ahead

Salam always
Azrin

Post Xmas blues

2011-12-27T17:55:00.001-08:00

I have been quite out of touch with my blogs recently mainly that I am generally facing the bloggers block,nothing worth to write about other than just to see,look and observe. The Brits have had a white Xmas and the normal tube strikes on boxing day which I pause to ponder, is it worth living in London again?

Though I miss it too much with my fond memories of me and my family and that I missed my little daughter Athira very much, Singapore faced the almost same fate with retailers fretting as much as the commuters when SMRT was hit with a triple whammy!!

Thing is, there was supposed to have backup protocols in place. Are we getting too complacent with things and taking it too much for granted?? Or are we going to wait for nature's wrath to be ready for floods, uninsured losses and loss of livelihood? Or must a train full of commuters must suffocate or gassed out to death, only then will changes be made.

Nationalise the whole bus and train service. We Singaporeans own it not corporate entities. If Malaysia no leh, we are more than that, just as long as Jangan asal boleh ( Chin chai anyhow)

Happy holidays yo

Of stupid SMRT woes

2011-12-24T17:08:00.001-08:00

I am quite proud of the robust transport system in Singapore but of late I am quite disgusted with it, mainly due to the severe disruptions that almost could have had lives lost. I am talking about the North South line issues that led to the suffocation within the coach if it was not for the quick thinking and wittiness of a Samaritan who broke the window for ventilation.

Heck days earlier,the new circle line was disrupted and led to more woes for those who work and relied on the services. I was one of the pissed off people who just got refunded $0.80 for the journey refund which when I took the alternative bus ride,it cost me another $1.70 resulting me more than $2 out of pocket which the normal fare just costed me $1.78 rather than the $4.80 in all. Plus that I losses 3hrs of income. Just what dumb luck to have 3 strikes in a row.

Mobile Travel Tips

2011-11-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Many have been asking me how to save money when UR overseas.... deferring the hefty costs of calls and calling back home to check on things. I agree roaming charges are hefty, especially data packages, even by our 4 operators, namely MAXIS, DIGI, CELCOM, U-Mobile*TuneTalk*SalamFone*XOX*Merchant-Trade grouping. There is no roaming for P1,YES! or even TM TDMA for what I know (unless on Wifi VOIP Access)

Let me assure you that THIS IS NOT A PAID OR SPONSORED POST, but generally a good travel tip. If you are using Bill (postpay), make sure you have your ROAMING switched on. Take out your simcard from your Smart Device (iPhone, BB, Android etc) and use a LOUSY 2G fone such as the old ancient NOKIA 3320 or without a camera one, as it's really put to use later on.

Subscribe to a 3rd party roaming service such as FlexiRoam who charges RM10 or so a day on UNLIMITED ROAMING CALLS. Do note that you are basically diverting your call from your fone # to the 015x service and rerouted to you local roaming number.

What is LOCAL ROAMING NUMBER?? Well, some operator may give you a static local number, such as XL for Indonesia for CELCOM users so people in Medan can just ring you up just as if it's local/inter state.AXIATA has their agreements in many countries but no LNR given in Singapore. Otherwise, get another sim card for your smart fone. Depending on your device, you may need a micro simcard or just carry a cutter for that purpose!

Here's some tips!

In Singapore, STARHUB offers cheap call packages. You can get FREE CALLS to Malaysia, UK landlines and US too by using the 018 prefix. So to call Malaysia, instead of using +6012-3456789 you use 018-60-12-3456789 and all you pay is the local minutes (18c/min). Happy 128 also works the same. The initial card cost about $12 to $18 depending on your type and that also works for DATA!!! Of course you can get a dedicated Micro SIM card for your iPad and iPhone but it's costlier for $32 with the same amount of money loaded ($15) and the charges are more. But you get to use the FULL SPEED of 7.2Mbps compared to the full fledged 2.0Mbps on standard SIM. BTW, the standard is $7 (RM 20) for 7 days with 1GB quota which is a good value.If you are floating in and out, it will be $20 for 30 days (1GB)!

Of course, incoming calls are payable. Just pay 50c a day to activate the free incoming calls plan or use the Happy Card. Compared to our Malaysian Prepaid plans... that is a good value. The MAXMOBILE DATA ONLY offers unlimited too... with 5GB daily quota! Speed? 7.2Mbps!

Why I said U need a chao kia fone? When someone rings you, see the caller ID. if it's your friend, call them back at your local number, or if it's urgent, let the fone be diverted into the Roaming Service Number...so you can get it where you are.

Is it worth it? If you are a heavy user, yes... otherwise, SKYPE with Credit and Local SIM CARD is cheaper, so U can reply on your device via Skype. You can send SMS on SKYPE too...with your Malaysia # as a caller ID.

So where is the good deals??

Singapore: STARHUB with 018
United Kingdom : Use any operator you like, call the JUST DIAL IDD service (ask me) for the free call to Malaysia. Just use your local minutes to call back.
Indonesia:Use WIFI to call back
Australia: OPTUS is a good deal too!

Others, let me know... and those who have experience.... share with me.... so we all can save.

Prepaid users... I've better ways for U too....

Good luck

...........

Alibaba - any good deals on board?

2011-10-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

I have been dragging my feet about writing this article about the products on offer at ALIBABA. The fact is that there are many sellers and buyers on the platform, and that we have to be fair to everyone. I have been trying to be as honest and as positive as possible but sometimes, there are many jokers and clowns on board ALIBABA. Too bad, with the upcoming IPO, I feel the buyers will be more cautious given the current economic state.

Buying mobile phones from China is a drag. They usually ship with DHL and if you think you will get it within 3 days, you are absolutely wrong. I tried with many sellers and the fact that it is almost impossible to export directly from China is a drag, so usually they give you a Land Consignment Note number where the local carrier will carry it across from Shenzhen to Hong Kong awaiting repackaging with the Battery Export License, and then another wait, while the number is changed. In actual fact, it takes 72 hours from Shenzhen to Hong Kong and another 24-48 hours for the loading of the cargo on board the aircraft and from there, standard shipping times go about.

I had something purchased from a few sellers in China. They all claimed to be the manufacturers. And I was quite annoyed. Very annoyed that after payment, things take 12 days to arrive. Heck even an AIRMAIL parcel get to me within 3 days, and that because DHL has lousy shipping network in Malaysia, serving only Capital and Major Cities. I had to drive 75 miles to go collect it from their depot and if I did not collect, they will pass to another carrier where it will take another 3-5 days to arrive.

What UTTER RUBBISH. The declaration forms are also totally messed up. They also demand you pay using WESTERN UNION which I will not allow, since they don’t protect me at all. After insisting on PAYPAL, they ship it out late.

I honestly am quite disappointed with the quality of things. As the Chinese saying, “ YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR”. I asked for an ANDROID IP4 Look-a-like with DUAL SIM. It came with an older version , no in-built memory (4mb??!) and no memory slot, and only single SIM SLOT…and of course, the item did not pass my standards for testing. I had to counter demand the payment for the dodgy products sent, but then you have the issue of returning the item back, as China prohibits import of their products. You can return these mobiles etc without the battery, but the cost is too much. When Paypal dragged their feet on this, all you have …is to lose out. We lost a few hundred bucks on these junk (bricks!)… and we learnt our lesson.

If you wish to deal with the Americans.. think again too..since they are also fly by night. They have many stolen goods for sale..and this is the reason I will not deal with them. For a real deal, of huge quantities, ask to meet them to check first…and then you confirm the payment by Cashiers Order or L/C.

ALIBABA-A THIEVES MARKET….. be careful with the junk sold!

Formula One in Singapore - A NIGHTMARE FOR MANY!

2011-09-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

I for one support those who are really affected by the Singapore F1 in town, with all the traffic diversions and all, it is not something I am looking forward to.

However, I do support the F1 being in Singapore, since they create tourist arrivals which means more money for some, hoteliers alike. However, this is my latest suggestion to the F1 committee…

BE REAL, GET REAL… RACE ON THE LIVE TRACKS, meaning you do your racing on the actual streets , with real traffic moving in and out of the area. Just as any illegal racer will do…

The best and suitable location:
TUAS CHECKPOINT , TUAS MARINA with the AYE open for real use (so ok, we cordon off special zones for them)

The time?? 5.30pm – 9pm when the Singapore Malaysia traffic is the most heaviest and you get to race against the real racers of East Asia – The Malaysian Commuter Motorcyclist… NO SPEED LIMIT for everyone! So you get head to head and race on the live 3 lane with cars and bikes and the Causeway Link CW3 & CW6 buses trying to get home….. Little modifications will be made..so you get to race from Ahmad Ibrahim PIE roundabout to Tuas , turn left at Coca Cola, Zip Zap again onto the main highway , hairpin U turn into the road again.

My Suggested Route:

Flag off at JALAN AHMAD IBRAHIM Southward (so ok, close that road, go against the flow )

Tuas Road, Right into Tuas Ave 3, Right into Tuas Ave 3, into AYE Heading Tuas Checkpoint (MAIN FLOW – LIVE TRAFFIC!!!)

U Turn at Second Link (WATCH OUT FOR THE CW3 BUSES) into AYE and HARD LEFT U TURN into PASIR LABA ROAD

U Turn at PIE Upper Jurong Road, Head into AHMAD IBRAHIM (LIVE TRAFFIC!!!)

STRAIGHT ON, Pit stop at COCA COLA!

That with no POLICE CORDON or special check etc…

That … is what I can call, RACING….

Of course, they have to redo the Pasir Laba Road…but it is worth it…

Grandstand at AHMAD IBRAHIM stretch, Pasir Labar and a few others…

Many can watch on the side with no guard rails….

How much it will affect the traffic.. none..but the F1 drivers better be super careful with the crazy riders and bus drivers and more…..That will test their skills and nerves…

Make it 200 laps….DAY TONA racing… on F1….

Only make ONE LANE RED ZONE …so no one can enter just like the Red Bus Lane…. Give them a bit of safety if they want to use ONE lane..they want to test their luck, overtake on live road….

What say you, FORMULA ONE? TONY FERNANDEZ? RICHARD BRANSON??? ALONSO?

Wallet in your phone

2011-09-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Be prepared Malaysia, your wallet will soon be a thing of the past. A current research & development by a Government Linked Company here based in Kuala Lumpur boasts the disappearance of your wallet in the near future. Why? Because of the new payment system which boosts the number of micropayments within the commercial and consumer entities. With transactions less than RM100, all you need to do is to WAVE your phone onto the device, be it an Android or iPhone , it is SIM-DEPENDENT.

WHY MY MOBILE? Because, you never leave home without your mobile phone, as it’s the blood line of the 21^st century. Of course, it will be tagged to your Savings or Current / Bank accounts and also your favorite Visa, Mastercard or Charge Card. Security wise, it will be far more secure than you think, since there will be more than 3 Factor Security Authentication tagged in place.

For micro payments, it takes just as how your Touch-N-Go card or VisaWave/Paypass works. You just wave it. It is tagged directly to your e-wallet and if you lose your phone, it won’t work because you have black listed it, so the SIM Registration is the first security factor. It can be tagged to your PREPAID SIM CARD just as how you load your Phone Credit. Usually for less than RM50. It does not hurt much if you loose RM50 right?? Your data on the SIM CARD is also stored offsite. This may be used to PRE AUTHORISE YOUR FUEL PURCHASE. Great for Mamak shop, Petrol Station or Groceries Shop. Also great to pay for your parking and toll.

For Payments between RM50-RM250 such as Supermarkets, Departmental Stores, Utility and Government Dues like PTPTN or MARA or LHDN, the user can either call in to a short code / Toll Free Number or SMS the transaction code for the final amount.

1)Merchant Enters Amount

2)User Enters Phone Number

3)User Select type of payment (PREPAID/CHARGE/FAST DEBIT/PAYPAL/OTHERS)

4)Enters Payment PIN CODE

5)Enter TYPE OF ACCOUNT for others (Maybank2U SAV/CHECK etc etc)

6)SWIPE FINGER PRINT for Auth.

Terminal will then run the PREAUTH TAC CODE to be sent to the customer phone

Customer will then enter the 2^nd Level code in and it will complete.

For payments between RM250-RM2000, Voice recognition will occur. System will call the customer if it is against the standard fraud detection. In this instance, at the point of registration, BIOMETRIC recognition will begin, full fingerprinting and Voice recording be done. Recording A-Z ,0-9, Customer FULL NAME, Identity Card Number, Mother Maiden Name, etc… A security Word like a Alphanumeric password that only the customer will know. The system will ask for the certain Alphabet/Number of the word, just as banks do. For example Code word is WHOAM1 and the request code is 1,2,4, the reply will be W,H,A

Why this happen? Because sometimes we borrow our fathers, brothers, sisters, wife/husband card/phone/topup card etc… so no one can forge your voice genetic or even your finger print.

Just in case you lose your phone in the middle of the night or been robbed or left everything… you can pay your cabby for your ride home and your fingerprint will be the authenticator for the payment. There will be a little buffer like say RM50-100 just in case we ran out of cash, or if the pre-auth have not been lifted. We all know that we are at times, been in a tight fix, waiting for the pay at the end of the day … so this is the human side of things. Something like SOS-TOPUP

The system will also have a DEMAND PAYMENT for a PEER-to-Peer payment, just as how you pay your friend. Be it he in Malaysia or overseas, USSD request can be made just as how it is done on Paypal. You will probably know how SHARE-A-TOPUP or ASK-A-TOPUP on your prepaid mobile. So when the other party receive the request, he can accept or deny by doing a short code auth. (*100#/*118#/*128#), Select the menus, Enter AUTH CODE WORD.

This is going to be great to the merchant because the P2P rate is so low (about 5-20c) per transaction, less than 0.5% (About RM1) per Debit transaction just as MEPS or 1.5% for Charge. It reduces the cash on the till at the merchant, and if the merchant allows it, CASH BACK service, like NETS-CASH in Singapore. It charges maybe RM1-RM2 to the customer which the merchant can cash out up to RM500 or so, depending on their comfort level. Supermarkets may like this. There will no longer a clutter of so many machines on the till. Just one. ONE TO PAY, and One to sell PREPAID, ALL SERVICES, ONE to PAY BILLS. ALL BILLS. Merchants get 10-30c for bill payment, so it’s a good service. No excuse NOT to pay your PTPTN MONEY. No need to go to Post Office to cash your Retirement / Pension Warrant. You can also topup your Touch-N-Go/EzLink/NETS-Flashpay/CEPAS and accept SINGAPORE CUSTOMERS.

What may happen later on, is you can pay for your toll using your phone….. and even buy tickets.

So who is handling this?? Like I said.. government linked agencies.. since they want money back from borrowers. No more excuse too far to go to the bank, post office , BSN etc. It’s just round the corner. Like PAYPOINT in UK. I say it’s call ONE2Pay.

This is really Service!!!

Termination of TM Prepaid Homeline

2011-09-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Just to let many of you know, the old RING RING program which relies on the home user to prepay their home line for calling and rental credit is coming to a close. I have been swamped with many customers who are still on the prepaid program, on how and what will happen after this.

What it is, actually is the number of inactive number of customers (me included) who use the RING RING CARD (aka iTalk Card) to purchase airtime for their residential landline phones. Though the actual calling rate is 40c for local and mobile phones (Same Zone), and between RM1.20 to RM2.40 for outstation calls (aka long distance), the savings is on the line rental which is actually RM3 per month, and it must be recharged every 30days. If one relapsed the recharge period , they have a grace period of 30 days before the incoming call facility is TOSsed (Temporarily Out-of Service – TOS) and a new Starter pack is needed (RM30) obtainable from TM Point outlets (not dealers). Recharge coupons are activated by purchasing iTalk cards (RM10/30/50).

However, due to many relapses and the lack of recharge starter packs (RESTART PACKS) , TM are running out of numbers in many areas , such as Penang , Kulim, Seremban, Melaka, Muar , Bahau and the regions. Thus , the termination of contract or automatic conversion process for all. Any have loads of money prepaid into their account, and this is the issue. As such, from what I was told and saw, by end of September 2011 or Early October, all Prepaid Numbers are converted and Normalised into POST PAY services at standard call plans.

What is means, is that the current rental plan will be RM25+RM4 (itemized billing , Paperbilling and duties) per month and that is supposingly the minimum. There is another stealth program, which is RM15 for DOMESTIC CALLS ONLY, meaning within the same exchange. For example, if you are in Seremban 06-677xxxx, you can call the same exchange of Seremban, Senawang and Rasah ( 677/766 ) zones only and no regional or mobile calls. It only allows free incoming calls. It is good for those who don’t use much. But contrary to what many people say, it’s quite dangerous, if you need to call your next of kin etc.

Another package is the ITKS plan for STUDENTS. This has no rental but prepaid card is needed to call out and no incoming calls accepted (HOTLINE SERVICE). But honestly, this is not good. Streamyx or UNIFI packages offer free landline call plans for RM110/mth!

If you need more details.. please ask!

BLOGGING NOT FOR MONEY!

2011-08-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Salam Aidil Fitri to all…. And hope everyone is enjoying their days!

It’s tiring and I’m quite poofed! Then I was going thru my daily job tasks ..which btw, today is still operational…. And I saw the posting on NUFFNANG about RUMAH AMAN…which needs to raise RM20,000 (about US$8000 or S$10,000) for the rewiring.

So thus … I am pledging FULL HEARTED to the cause… and all my earnings to date (which is nothing, few ringgits)… is to be donated to the cause. So do help out.. do click on the NUFFNANG AD and support the cause.. so there is the Singapore Ads and Malaysia Ads… support whichever you feel is great! If you are not from either…. Then tell me..and I help U sign up.

Each click is worth 20c so please every click do count. This MERDEKA… I am supporting the charitable causes…since I cannot do much…. I want to help out….

This raya…there are happiness all over. Not to forget those who are less fortunate…so please help out…

Thank you

Happy Holidays...

2011-08-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Salam Aidil Fitri to all my friends, family and foes alike. Despite what happened for the past year or so… I am still me.. struggling with all the tasks I am given and it’s been a challenging year so far. Tomorrow is the Singapore Presidential Election #SGElect as they put it on twitter ( or #SGPresident / #SGElections hash tags) but mostly… I am not bothered to vote this time round since the 4 candidates are just goons to me.. worthless clowns who aspire to be the Singapore Prime Minister…but failed to get the job. They are too much affiliated to the PAP…so it’s not worth it. I’m anyway excused since my address is in Malaysia (Home Address)…so I can opt not to vote since my passport …. Is with the home ministry for renewal of the Expatriate Pass / Permanent Resident application process.

About Eid.. this year.. to me it’s about being able to understand how those unfortunate souls suffer throughout the whole year, with less than what they can live on, be it Muslims or not. It saddens me that the Muslim Zakat can’t be used to feed the non-Muslims… but in following of the Prophet himself.. he fed many Jewish beggars with it… so it’s all about HUMANITY. It’s sad when there is media exposure, only then we see Sharizat and the UMNO people coming to help… and not the MCA or otherwise. I was referring to the article on the Star that 2 school kids got to sell their books just to buy rice.. it’s really sad… where is the CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY of the supermarkets such as TESCO, ECONSAVE, GIANT and alike???

Anyway, do drive safe.. where ever you are and where ever you are heading. Plan ahead..and give EXTRA TIME. Be happy.

Salam Aidil Fitri is what I wish…

To all my friends, Readers, Family, Foes alike….

Forgiveness, Closure and remorse is all I have to ask….

To you who read this … I bid you and your family well…

Wish you a safe trip… and Salam Shalom Safe and be well...

Difference between Streamyx and Unifi

2011-07-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

First off, Telekom Malaysia has been trying to get things moving for us in Malaysia, offering the fastest broadband so far to the central regions, Johor and Penang Island.

Streamyx is the ADSL which offers download speeds of 384kbps, 512kbps, 1Mbps, 2Mbps and 4Mbps for the consumer and it had been known to be able to stream up to 8Mbps for some line. Since it is ADSL, the upload speed is capped at 384kbps due to the upstream frequency allocated by the ITU G.Lite which is at 25-130KHz and the download at 140-1100KHz having said that the audible bandwidth of 6- 1200KHz is what our copper and ears can take without much loss of signal. SDSL is a different thing all together, which is the reverse of ADSL.

UniFi or United National Internet Fidelity service offers Video, Internet and Phone at the same time to the consumer and majority of which are served by FTTHx technology or Fiber To The Home Technology where a piece of fiber optic cable is split into many pairs (usually 8) and then split / spliced for sharing at the terminator unit. This is usually allows up to 500 homes per dark fiber cable which has 4 pairs in them.

The main difference with Streamyx and Unifi at a glance is the Price and Digital IPTV Set Top Box that is provided with the service. For RM149, it offers 5Mbps service and a Digital TV box for you to watch TV on the RESIDENTIAL PACKAGE. Among other freebies are a free DECT Phone, Free Unlimited Landline Calls, WiFi Router and which is all guaranteed by TM for up to 12 months, whereas your contract is 24 months. Streamyx is 12 months contract.

Unifi also offers packages of 10Mbps for RM199 and 20Mbps for RM240 although the fair usage policy is about 60Gb , 75Gb and 90Gb for the VIP5,VIP10 and VIP20 respectively. There is no capping for business users, but the price is at RM249, RM599 and RM899 for the BIZ5,BIZ10 and BIZ20 with Static IP assigned for the Biz 10 and Biz 20 with calls worth RM50 and RM100 included respectively.

In terms of downloading and Uploading.. here is the good thing:
THE SPEED IS UNCAPPED so if you have VIP5 package, then you get 5M upload and Download speed!

I copied this without permission from ViVr2.com ...as I can't find a 20M line to test.

So if you want either streamyx or Unifi.. please sms me 017-4648814 with your details and I will get it registered and done up for you soon.

Do note that UNIFI waiting period is as long as 3 months due to the lack of contractors to install the service. So don't say I did not warn you.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Today is the Independence Day for our American friends, and last week , the First of July was Canada Day for their northern neighbours and so.. I wish them all..

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
HAPPY 4th of July!!!

(from the British and the Colonists)

Just to let you know Hostgator is having a 40% discount on EVERYTHING except domain names, so you might want to grab that one, unless you want to use the special codes.

Pondering over a DELETE BUTTON IN LIFE.

2011-06-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Something a ponder of the day... Thanks to my friend Amos Dong who wished for a DELETE button in life.

Here is to you bro... a point to ponder.
I learn a way...after very painful ones...and this is an advise from my late wife ...

Hubby,In life .. we have many skeletons that we buried and shoved in our closet of life.. which must never be opened or uncovered for you will live your life like a walking zombie... so if you have to go thru again a place that has sad memories..and not to remind yrself of that past.. bring someone who brings you happiness and joy... for that will over write the sadness that is within, something like a video tape.. and thus ... your walk in life is no longer haunted by those very feelings and that "langkah kita tidak akan pendek lagi untuk elak tempat tersebut" (meaning we won't try to avoid that place again in phobia)... and if someone says so and so.. let it be so..for stick and stones will break my bones but words and slurs can't.

Remember these words for you will never be imprisoned again by life.. for the most cruel prison is where we live with regrets , shame and melancholic feelings.

Those are so thru and just better than going for AA Meetings. Pain is there..but far less than ever...

ODesk English Test.... A fraud?

2011-06-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Something I have to ask, as I did this test out this particular test after I noticed that one Pakistani guy who can't speak right was the TOP of the candidates.. in fact he scored 100% and I decided to give it a try, after I feel it's rigged.

Why I made those claims? I did TWO tests.. on TWO Accounts and the answers were checked by the MS Word Dictionary and it gave 98% for a 40 question test... and 2% is what? For time? There is no Multiple Choices in that set of questions where you need to tick 2 or more and I feel it's defective.

As a Toastmasters Member and a WAOE Council Member, I am obliged to follow by the code of ethics and practice good public speaking methodologies including proper use of grammar and spelling and pronunciation and in my books, these tests are fake.

Anyone with a MS Word opened on the side or even a blogger screen can type the word in and see what is the wrong one. I did that in the first set, checking EVERY QUESTION and it comes to 98% and within 20mins and the second time, it's a no brainer... and within 10 mins.So my point is, why a spelling test when you can cut and paste and cheat?? The only way I see it is to derive a page, with proper AMERICAN ACCENT SPEAKER pronouncing the words out and we spell it out, something like Part One of the GCSE English 1119 Paper or like the IELTS.

That itself will show us who is the boss.

For the employees of oDesk..sorry I offended you, but this is deserving...and I have to say the truth. The Honest Truth, and it sucks.

Condolences to my cousins....

2011-06-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

It was just after dawn that it dawned on me my sister rang me up to say that my only male uncle (heir/waris) to the family, Mr Abdul Hamid bin Mahadi @ Leman had passed away this morning. He was just 58 or so.

It dawned upon me of a silly joke that he said to me last year, the last time I saw him at the funeral of another relative, Puan Hajjah Norhayati Abdullah, which I quote, "Once you reach 50, all of us are waiting for the bell " which means, on reaching 50, we are all waiting for our number to be called by Izrail, the Angel of Death.

It is that, I seldom cry at funerals, but this particular uncle, is just the like of my dad, only their way of life is different and that what makes me sad this morning, is that he is at an early age, and I was not able to know him far better than what I knew of him 30 years back.

Being my father's elder brother, of course there are some misunderstandings, but what make me sad, is that they never buried their differences, and now, one of them is waiting for his turn to the other world, to be buried in the grave, that one did not able to ask for forgiveness or so.. when he was still alive.

That he reminds ourselves to be humble, that during the last time I saw him with my family, was at Tesco Bukit Indah and I did not even notice him, until he shouted out my name..and I was searching about to who was it.. and that is how bad I was.. I can't even recognise him until I saw my aunt...who was just as the same as 20 years ago.

To my cousins, Azhar (Kek), Azman..and my other cousins who I did not get to know.. my deepest condolences to you.

Al-fatiha.

Join me on SAYS MY

2011-06-18T03:15:00.001-07:00

There is a new Tweet - Post player in town and I might as well mention it...
SAYS MY is the new kid on the block and you should give it a try. If you got Nuffnang, Churp Churp, iZeAs.. then you should try this at home!

It looks and feels like Nuffnang.. but hey.. I am more than happy to try anything out now.

Have fun!

They can try threaten...

2011-06-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

I suppose the latest DDOS attacks by the ANONYMOUS and RED DRAGON team is just the tip of the iceberg for the MCMC team as they claim they have the list of perpetrators who hacked into the servers. The media is just going along with the Try Scare Them Out tactic which, is all about nerves of steel.

Come on MCMC, these people just want what they want to do, download. The DMCA itself protects copyright owners of their works and rectification is better than trying to whack a dengue mosquito with a shotgun, only to hurt yourself in the feet.

DDOS can be avoided easily if they have the proper equipment and technical expertise. However, the government employees really lack the skill and carrot to deter this from happening in the first place and that poor government websites were defaced.

However, how much of data from MyEG, Polis Diraja Malaysia were compromised? I do believe if they managed to hit the server itself, data would be leaked by means of database piercing. One good example was the Sabah Tourism website. The email addresses, root user password are all open , only hashed by an MD5 encryption.

They could have planted a trojan and use the whole subnet to tunnel into other parts of the network or subnet masks which act as a packet sniffer or alike and there goes your credit card details, encryption details and passwords. I recall this happened way back 5 years ago when MyEG had a flaw in their processing service and I had a whole bunch of people renewed their licenses for FREE.

To make and run a server is simple for them but maintaining and securing it is always the issue. I honestly don't understand why they want to do that, but, it's a sure waste of money, resources and time. I could do a better job at that with Pinoys and Indians working 24/7 monitoring them.

So..what is next? Expect more DDOS....
SECURITY....

No more RON95 for Malaysians!

2011-06-15T04:58:00.000-07:00

Read this carefully my fellow Malaysian friends, if you are not driving a Malaysian Registered Car.. then you cannot buy RON95 despite you showing your MyKAD at the station. The only way to bypass this ...is pay at pump and if the station don't care.. buat don't know lah....

For CNG vehicles of Singapore.. sorry people.. no more subsidised NGV for you too. But I think, many stations won't bat an eyelid if you fill up in Melaka or KL as you are far away from home.

But in my opinion... they should only BAN RON95 sale TOTALLY in WHOLE OF SOUTH JOHOR less a few Petronas stations with Primax95. And they should offer RON97 and UL110/130 instead for the KAKI RACE drivers..and for you who don't know what UL110 is..it's Petrol for the Aircraft, Gasoline 110% proof, which is expensive but very good and cost savings. Plus that it's also known as NITRO to many in the US.

I support the move, since RON95 is for the poor people, not Singapore Bound vehicles. You are a Singaporean or Malaysian, and can afford a Singapore car..then too bad.. fill the good stuff. Don't be a cheap skate Mr Kiasu.

Otherwise, drive a Diesel engine car.. saves more..and economically more green as they are mostly now derived from green alternatives (read: COOKING OIL!). I will honestly support their cost savings.. heck, otherwise, just have less petrol stations. Be green, drive a Diesel! A full tank on a Renault Kangroo gives you 800km! Cheaper too since it's RM1.80 a liter or about 79cents.

How is your ADSENSE so far?

2011-06-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long while I did SEO and Red-Hat tricks and I did have to look at how things are really going for me...and I am quite shocked when I saw the real deal here.

So what I am seeing here, that is the US market is really making money for me... but what ads are actually coming up? I have been hearing it's not Google Adsense but of lower quality Adchoices which the monopoly was by... Hostgator and AMEX on some.

Surprised? I am because it is usually supposed to see higher value ones, on heavy keywords such as finance et al, so why is that so.. I am not sure...

Anyone can give me a guess? I am quite intrigued by these..and surely my friend Diana Tan will be asking herself. But I am paying a small team to analyze the ads for me.... so let's see how it goes.

You want me to leave....

2011-06-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

It's very irritating that some people think so highly of themselves that they can tell everyone of your mistake of not covering up... a man who is on the beach half naked (well.. I was out of the water and took a photo chest up) and they are making a fuming fuss of the fact that I was NAKED when talking of a Muslim woman's modesty, is all about covering up, and meaning head to toe, and that is still point blank in their profile, and make no amends of it.

We are all entrepreneurs and alike, we respect each others beliefs and for me, why must I make a fuss of someone when that someone can be my customer. But here I was in the firing line, and I make it a point to hold my ground.

Of which, sadly, I think it is a waste of time and effort to keep myself in the company of MELAYU TRADE facebook group as all I see is a group of grown up gals who run businesses out to make a mockery of things and before I loose my darn temper, and make myself foolish and of agony, I better of de-friending them as I don't see any good with Malay Women Entrepreneurs. It should be renamed The Bickering Bitches of Malay Women Traders instead as they have nothing else to do than to sell themselves online, far worse than a prostitute or Boh-Sia on the sidewalk of Chow Kit Road.

It's sad, that Tradition (Adat) of the Malay Culture is all about going against the teaching of Islam. It's all the medieval culture that brings nothing more than doom to the society. Islam teaches us to be modest and respect others, and a man is to cover from his navel to the knee and women everything except the face, hands and feet (below the ankle) as ordained. WTF is all I can say.

So I better leave...and if my own family wants me to leave, because I am always a looser, then they are far off worse than me. For that is a cause of many broken homes, of bad families and kids going wild et al as the Family Institution is no longer there. I for one have principles, and of one is not to break a promise or appointment with a customer, especially the House of God, be it a Mosque, Church or Temple, as you are sure to be cussed and cursed by the Almighty if you thread on His property. I won't risk bad karma for that matter, and I have to go out even in the twilight , late into the night, to earn a living and what I get in return from my own family? Nothing more than being cussed and sworn at.

So is this justice? No, there is no justice in this world, and for me, doing something for charity or a charitable institution is payment to the Almighty for the Grace bestowed upon me, and I for one, expect nothing else, other than be able to carry on living and spreading the word and sharing the Grace of God. And if I am to die unexpectedly, I don't expect anything of my body or soul, for all I wish for is to complete the tasks at stake.

I am tired, really am, but who am I to say much more. All I care is for my family and I miss my daughter, Athira for I missed her much, that the money I need to travel to see her, is better spent feeding her siblings. Sacrifices, and of the better of two evils. What can I say...but to admit my faults.

But to ask me to leave...

Why in Singapore private ambulances are not given right of way

2011-05-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

I symphatise with the problem private ambulances face, but the core issue is the NON-STANDARDISATION of the VEHICLE makes people not realise there is an ambulance at the back.

There just need alot of changes to the industry too, as they are at fault too. Being in the medical profession, I see the light in both ways, as the driver and as the medical person in the back.

Just having red warning lights and siren won't just do, people can't see them from far, and that there should be proper guidelines to what is considered an EMERGENCY AMBULANCE and not a FERRY AMBULANCE which looks typically , a Van or Minibus used by the SAF with a Red Cross. A Van Jenazah or carrying the dead looks just the same.

1) Strobing lights with BLUE LIGHTS at the height of about 1.2M is needed to let the driver in front see there is an ambulance behind him needing the right way.

2) Our traffic lights require the IR Strobe Sensors installed so that if one is approaching, the light automatically change back to GREEN ALL AHEAD for them to pass, just as how in Malaysia, UK, US and Europe has implemented.

3)The ambulances must be of standard spec. I suggest either the same of the US version of the Ambulance which the SCDF is using, or at least a Merc Vito, LDV Transit equivalent. They must be painted with FLORESCENT GREEN and SUPER BRIGHT COLORS all about. Along with the LED Strobe lights of blue and red, these will make sure the ambulances are not tailed.

4)Proper Education. Ambulance Drivers must learn NOT to take the task easily and AVOID TRAFFIC JAMS. Why they face issues when the SAF "Ghostbuster" sirens are given way is that their hospitals are in grid locked areas such as Beach Road, Siglap, Orchard Road and many more....compared to CGH, SGH, AH, TTSH which are just off MAIN HIGHWAYS! Saving lives are the cause of their work, so just get to ANY hospital first , then transfer later. Otherwise, a Helivac is more appropriate.

5) Fines and Cameras are useless when a life is lost. Government and local authorities has to play their part too. Ambulance companies too... must know that their business is to save lives.. and must not take things easy. Hospitals too must be adequately free of hindrance. That person inside may be your child.

I have at many times took the critically ill to hospital in my own personal car,be it them bleeding their guts on my sofa as I know every minute counts and I don't get anyone holding me up when I have my hazard lights on and flashing headlights..... so why the ambulance?

Regards
Dr R Azrin

Weird Dinner

2011-05-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am always doing weird things and this is one of them. Chilli Sprouts and Jering (Jengkol) which is a member of the Stinky Family of Beans including Petai and Kerdas what nots.

Honestly, I prefer the Jering skinned off leaving only the nutty flesh without any outer coverinng as it does not taste the bitterness nor the stench. However, the urine do stink and not as much as the Petai.

Coming to why Chilli Sprouts... which is the reason for me to try out, is it as what Jamie Oliver said it would be, spicy and hot and the answer is NO! The seed does not display any of the tangy sensations that biting into a hot chilli pepper will do and that for one, is a plus for me since I can take the heat, but a little bit allergic to the after effect, giving me the Monkey Business problem, scratching all over like a flea ridden animal. Which by the way, I am not having fleas or what not, just that a dry itchy scalp problem, solved by Head and Shoulders.

The ripe old Jering is best eaten COOKED or BOILED OVER. It just taste like Chestnuts and old and riped ones are hard to come by, costing as much as RM3 for just 8 pieces.

As for the young ones, usually 20pcs cost you RM5!

Now, that is ORGANIC!